Manipulation
by Love me and leave me
Summary: Shortly after Jean's death. Logan is being impossible, as usual, and there is a new teacher who can manipulate water. Who knows what will spark between these two. A love square or hexagon, choices, seduction, violence, action... all that jazzy stuff.
1. Chapter 1

The strong wind felt good whipping through his hair, just like it always did. On the back of the motorcycle seemed to be the only place he found sanity anymore. The memories of Scott and Jean flitted through his mind, but they were only lingering; they were swept away by the wind as he flew along the deserted countryside. He wasn't wearing the helmet, not like that was anything new. He needed this escape, to ignore real life for a few hours every day.

And, as always, he would arrive back to worried looks from Rogue and Storm, but he shrugged them off and went to his room. He sat on his bed and for the millionth time felt the agonizing guilt. It was his fault they weren't here anymore. He had gotten them both killed for his own curiosity. He stood up, running his hands through his hair as he paced about his small room. A tentative knock sounded on the door.

"Logan," came Rogue's small voice, "can I come in?" He chose not to answer and instead stared out the window. He heard the doorknob begin to twist, but the lock kept it from finishing. "Logan, please. I want to talk to you," came her voice, stronger now. He grunted in response, and heard her sigh and pad away from the door slowly. He laid down on his bed, hating himself for isolating himself from everyone, but he still couldn't bring himself to get close to anyone again. He was too afraid that he would hurt them.

Moments later, he heard to girls' voices sound from outside his door. He recognized them both immediately; Rogue and Kitty. He jumped up, preparing for the inevitable. Right on cue, Kitty slipped through the wall with Rogue in her arms, gave Logan a shy wave, and zipped out through the wall again. He grunted and turned his back to her, having nothing to say. _Please go away,_ he pleaded silently. But, of course, she did not.

"Logan," she said quietly, taking a step closer to him. He continued ignoring her and closed his eyes to the sound of the care in her voice. He didn't want anyone caring for him. "Logan, you can't shut me out forever." She took three steps closer to him and laid her bare hand gently on his arm. It was the first physical touch she gave him since she had her powers taken away. He couldn't help it. He looked at her with grief heavy in his eyes. He said nothing out loud, but she understood.

"I know it's hard," she said slowly, with great thought, "but there's so much to care about, Logan. There's me, there's Bobby, there's Storm..." she drifted off for a moment. "Why don't you come back to us, Logan? We miss you. What about all the kids, Logan?" He shuddered and brushed her hand away.

"Don't you understand?" he growled, the guilt and pain hanging heavy in his voice, "I can't let go. I can't let anyone else get killed for me again."

"It wasn't your fault!" she said loudly, grabbing his arm again. "Scott was his own doing, and partly Jean. _She_ killed him, Logan, and really, she got herself killed, too!" He yanked his arm away from her again.

"Stop," he nearly whispered, but it was so intense that it drove her over the edge.

"There are people who love you, Logan. I know that we're not the same, but come back for us. We miss you. Just because we're not as special as Jean, and you don't love us as much as her is no reason to just forget about us." She stormed out, the air around her almost crackling with her rage. She collided with Bobby on her way down the hall. She dragged him into her room, and wrapped her arms around him. At his returned embrace, she let the angry tears flow free.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Welcome to Xavier's Institute, Leah," Storm said sweetly, broadcasting her most winning smile. Leah returned it wholeheartedly. "We're grateful to have you."

"It's my pleasure," Leah replied. Her voice had a smooth, melodic sound to it as it slid from her lips. Her hair was a dark brown, and her skin light and smooth. Her bright blue eyes almost seemed to dance as she took in the school. "I've always wanted to use my talents to teach other mutants. I'm so glad I heard about this place." She smiled as a man with large, white wings walked past her, and he nodded back. She turned to talk to Storm again, but still stared after the man with a glimmer in her eyes. Storm picked it up immediately.

"That's Angel," she said quietly. "He also helps to teach." Leah just smiled in response as she continued to watch the children run past. Storm smiled and made another attempt at a conversation. "You said you've taught before?"

"Mmhm," came the reply as Leah turned towards her. "I've been teaching at a public school in New York for the last four years. I taught 10th grade math. It was horrible!" She laughed at the thought of it. "I'm glad to be finally working with my own kind." She flashed Storm a shy smile.

"I'm sorry," Storm said quietly, "but I don't think I ever read what your power was." Leah smiled, and held up her hand. A small ball of water gathered above her hand and floated in midair.

"I can manipulate water. I can't create it, but I can draw it from the air, and lakes, rivers and oceans, and even from people or animals. And you?" she replied sweetly.

"I can, as you say, 'manipulate' the weather." As she said this, storm clouds gathered outside, making it exceptionally dark.

"Oh, my!" Leah said, peering out of the window. "I haven't had much experience with other mutants, but I can tell that your power is exceptional!" Storm laughed, putting her arm on the younger woman's shoulder.

"Why don't we go see your room now, dear?"


	2. Chapter 2

Leah smiled to herself as she began to unpack her suitcase. The school already seemed like such a great place. The people were nice, and the atmosphere uncomparably welcoming. She stopped unpacking and sat down on the bed, still grinning. She let herself fall onto her back, her hair spilling all around her head. Her eyes closed and a content sigh escaped her lips. A knock on the door startled her out of her reverie.

"Yes?" she called, and the door opened revealing Angel standing there with a few papers in his hands. He smiled awkwardly at her. She jumped up and held out her hand. "I'm Leah, the new teacher."

"I know." His sweet voice flowed over her, and she felt as though she was going to melt into a puddle on the floor. "I'm Angel," he said, grasping her hand tightly and giving it a small shake. "I, uh, think you dropped these." He handed the papers over to her. "They were right outside your door, and I thought..."

"Thank you," she said sweetly. "I hope we'll see each other soon!"

"I hope so too." They both blushed as he left the room. She shut the door behind him, leaned on it and slid down until she was sitting on the floor. A huge grin took up most of her face, and her blue eyes sparkled. She jumped to her feet and danced the whole way over to the bed where she flopped down and drew her knees up to her chest. She was still grinning.

- - - - - - -

Storm continued to pace around the director's office. It seemed like she spent hours and hours every day pacing. Her feet made soft padding noises on the hardwood floor. Why was Logan shutting everyone out? Why wouldn't he let her talk to him? Pad, pad, pad. Why did he spend all his time grieving over something he could never change? Why did he feel guilty? It wasn't his fault. Pad, pad, pad. God, how she missed him.

Her fingers ran through her hair as she sat down in Xavier's old chair. She stroked the arms lovingly as she thought of the professor, but soon her thoughts drifted back to Logan again, like they always did. It was so hard to be in love with a bipolar depressed mutant. It sucked all the energy and life out of her, worrying about him. She knew he was a lost cause; he was still too much in love with Jean to ever care for her. But she could still hope. And she could still try again. She nodded to herself and marched out of the room.

She arrived at Logan's door moments later. She took a deep breath and braced herself for his bitter rage.

"Logan?" she said softly.

"It's open," came the growl from inside. That was certainly unusual. He never usually let her in. She slowly twisted the doorknob and let herself in. He was facing away from her with his shirt off, his muscles tight across his back. His dark hair hung limply over his neck. She sucked in her breath but ventured farther in, closing the door behind her. The storm outside had turned into a slight drizzle. "It's been raining for a long time, Storm. Did you have anything to do with it?" She didn't answer at first, just closed her eyes.

"I don't mean to anymore. It just happens."

"Does that mean you've been feeling miserable?" She paused again, this time looking down at her feet.

"What do you think?" she replied quietly. When he didn't answer, she sighed. "Come back Logan. We need you. I need you." She bit her lower lip slightly, waiting for a response. He turned around slowly, and at the sight of the rest of him she sucked in her breath again. Seeing him now was nearly painful.

"You can't need me," he said, his eyes flaring. "All I bring is pain." He sat down on the bed, facing away from her again. The storm began to brew, not in a angry way, more frustrated. "Don't need me, Storm. If I'm not careful, you'll be next." His eyes closed with the pain the words brought him. She nearly cried out in pain. Her feet, unbidden, took her over to the bed, and she sat down next to him.

"It wasn't your fault, Logan!" she said forcefully, feeling her eyes begin to wet. He noticed, and knew that it took a lot to make Storm break down. He took her in his arms and she returned the embrace, just feeling grateful to have his strong arms around her. "I need you, Logan. And it takes a lot for me to admit to needing someone," she said, pulling back. She stood and crossed the room to the door.

"Storm?" he said quietly.

"Yes?"

"I'm scared."

"Me too."


	3. Chapter 3

Storm stomped into her room and shut the door behind her. She knew she had to stop. It was too much. He was too impossible, too agonizing, too stressful, too perfect, too amazing... she stopped that train of thought quickly. But she knew she needed to stop thinking and worrying about him. He obviously didn't need or appreciate her worry. Or her, as a matter of fact. But, what was there to do?

She shook her head at herself, letting her hair whip the sides of her face. Her eyes closed, but underneath the lids they were pure white as the storm outside intensified as the Storm inside nearly exploded with exhaustion and pain. She opened her eyes and left her room. The storm outside crackled with lightening and shook with thunder.

Angel grabbed her arm the moment she stepped out. He said quietly "I need to talk to you," and she let herself get dragged into the empty kitchen. It was getting late now, and most of the children were in bed so no one was about.

"What's going on?" he said, concern deep in his voice. "The weather is going totally out of control and we were supposed to get sunny skies. Storm looked at him with tired eyes, but a small smile appeared on her face. Someone _did_ care.

"Just a lot of emotion backed up that kind of exploded. I'm fine now." He searched her face for a lie, but found none. It was mostly the truth after all.

"You sure?" he asked slowly, suspicion apparent in his tone.

"Positive."

"Hmm," he replied as he headed toward the door. "Oh," he said and turned back for a moment. "The new girl, Leah?" She looked at him with a questioning smile. "She's kinda cute. And she's really sweet." Storm laughed.

"Don't tell anyone else this, but when you passed in the hallway I thought she was going to melt into a puddle of the water she throws around." He cocked his head, and a slight smile appeared.

"Really?"

"Really."

He turned and was about to leave, but collided with Leah who was just entering the kitchen.

"Oh!" she gasped as she ran into him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"It's fine," he said, cutting her off with laughter in his voice. He unfurled his wings slightly then put them back against him. "They can kind of get in the way sometimes."

"They're wonderful, though," she said quickly. "I mean..." her cheeks gained color as she fumbled for words. Storm, in the background, laughed. "I would love to be able to fly," she came up with, finally. "It's so grand and magnificent." Angel laughed.

"Can't you control water?" he said slowly, the smile still on his face.

"Yeah," she said, confused.

"Then control it." She looked confused for a second.

"That won't work, will it?" Storm smiled and crossed over to the faucet. She turned the knob and warm water began pouring out. Leah sighed, and laughed at herself. "Here goes nothing," she said, mostly to herself. The water pouring out of the faucet changed course and poured through the air towards Leah. Angel let out a small whistle. It gathered around her feet, but her slippers and the bottom of her pants did not get wet.

She took a deep breath and ushered the air up. It, miraculously obeyed, and she slid a few feet into the air. She gasped in surprise, then laughed.

"I'm flying!" she said, laughter and excitement laced through her words and body language. Angel and Storm laughed with her. Angel held up his hand, and Leah took it gracefully, transforming the water into steps in front of her. She climbed down slowly, never taking her eyes off Angel's face. He returned the gaze. "I never knew I could make it do _that,_" she said in wonder. "I didn't think it could support weight." Angel laughed.

"Obviously it can," he replied. The three of them laughed together, and they were all keenly aware of how Leah's hand was still in Angel's. "The three of us should go for a fly together sometime."

"You can fly?" Leah said to Storm, then realized her own stupidity. "Of course you can! Wind!" The three of them laughed yet again. Angel was falling, quickly, to where his wings couldn't save him, but it definitely wasn't a bad place. Storm was letting her Logan worries slip away. Leah was finding quick comfort in her new home. Things seemed to be brightening up for all three of them.

And just when things were brightening up, an unexpected guest entered the room.


	4. Chapter 4

Erik sat at his chess table in the hospital park again. He had been labeled as 'no threat' in his file. Smart idea that was. He flicked his fingers, waiting for a touch of movement from the metal chess pieces. Ever since that shot, he was told his powers were totally gone, but what he discovered was that they weren't. They were just hidden and masked.

Every so often, a chess piece would move just a touch, but it was enough to know that it wasn't the wind or the table leg rocking. It was his powers working again. So, he spent the chess hour every day flicking his fingers at the small, shiny pieces in hopes that one day he would be able to lift one off the board and send it flying into his annoying human nurse's head.

It irked him to no end that he had humans taking care of him. But what could he do? One of these days he would bust out of there, and the human staff of the hospital would pay for his humiliation. He ground his teeth as he continued to flick his fingers in vain at the chess board. His strange movement caused one of the humans watching over the chess players to walk over to him.

"They're gone, buddy. Your powers are gone. Good riddance, too. You can stop trying now," the pitiful human said.

"You'll be the first to go when I get out of this place," Erik said matter-of-factly.

"Uh-huh," the attendant replied sarcastically before returning to his post.

"Uh huh is right," Erik muttered to himself as he gave a final flick of his fingers. His queen slid over to face the other king. He smiled in triumph.

"Checkmate."

- - - - - - - - -

Logan was sitting in his room, feeling miserable about life, as usual. But now it wasn't about Jean or Scott or Xavier. Now it was about the people in life that still mattered to him. He wasn't going to be all gung ho right away, that would take a while, but he would at least let them know he still cared, and would do everything in his power to protect them. The guilt still gnawed at the back of his brain, though. He needed a drink. He hoped against hope that there was something, anything, alcoholic in the school, so he slowly crept out of his room towards the kitchen, which he expected to be empty.

He stepped in, shirt off, and took in what was going on. Angel was holding hands with a girl he'd never seen before. They were both smiling. And Storm was off in a corner, looking down at her feet with a small smile on her face. But, in a millisecond, all three of them sensed his presence. The two let go of each other's hands, and Storm's face drained of color. He chuckled and stepped towards the refrigerator.

"Don't all look so happy to see me," he said sarcastically, searching for alcohol but finally settling for soda. He twisted off the cap and took a gulp before closing the fridge and turning around. "Hello," he said slowly to the girl. "I'm Logan. AKA Wolverine." He extended a hand, and she took it with an awkward smile. He shook it before pulling back and extending his claws. She gasped, but he retracted them quickly and rubbed his raw knuckles. "I heal fast."

"I..." she stuttered, "I'm Leah. I don't have another name." She looked at Storm, almost pleading for help in her look. "I'm a hydrokinetic."

"Hmm," he grunted, eyeing the wet splashes on the floor.

"Oh my!" she gasped, and the water all flew into the air and down the drain in a moment. Logan raised his eyebrows.

"Pretty impressive." He nodded at Angel, who returned it with a smile. Logan glanced at Storm who was taking a lot of time staring at her fingernails. So, with a quick salute to Leah, he disappeared through the kitchen door.

"I better go after him," Storm said with a sigh. She smiled happily at the two of them and ran out after Logan.

"He sure seems... charming," she said after a moment. Angel chuckled.

"You should have seen him last year. He was so much more... himself then."

"What happened to change him?" Leah inquired.

"That, Leah, is a story for another time." He smiled at her, and she shrugged. "We should get to bed soon." She smiled, and for the first time the weariness of the day crept into her consciousness.

"You're right. Sleep well, Angel."

"You too."


	5. Chapter 5

"Logan," Storm called as she launched herself into the hallway after him.

"Hmm?" he replied, not paying her much attention.

"You need to be friendly to Leah. I don't think she's a hundred percent comfortable here yet." He shrugged and continued to walk.

"She's gorgeous." Storm felt her jealousy surface and the clouds outside got darker. Logan, thankfully, didn't notice. "But then again, so are you," he added as an afterthought. The clouds lightened slightly and the rain stopped. He took a deep breath and stopped outside the door to his room, and turned to Storm.

"Storm... I know I've been keeping you at a distance, but-" She placed her finger on his lips.

"I know," she said quietly. "It's alright. I'm just glad to have you back." She smiled gratefully at him and lowered her finger. He clasped her hand in both of his and smiled. She leaned forward, knowing that she had finally gained the courage to tell him how she felt, but he had let go and turned into his room. With a final smile at her, he closed the door.

She smiled inwardly at herself and her foolishness. She couldn't tell Logan. She could never tell him. It would only present trouble and awkwardness. She stepped into the director's office. It was the most comfortable place on Earth to her. Xavier's presence was still thick in the air, and at times she almost believed she could hear him. She talked to him like he was standing right in front of her.

"Professor," she said quietly, "I'm lost. I don't know what to do." Her hands slid along the back of his chair. "I need your guidance. Please hear me." But, of course, there was no answer. She let herself fall into his chair. Her hands came up to run through her hair yet again, like they always did when she was nervous. She stood up again, feeling awkward in his seat for the first time. She shook her head at her own dreams. _He's not coming back,_ she told herself firmly. With a final nod at the portrait of Xavier on the wall, she slipped out of the office and made her way to her room.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Rogue sat on her bed with Bobby next to her. She was playing with her fingers, and Bobby was looking at her with concern in his eyes.

"Rogue..." he said slowly, "tell me. You said you had something to tell me." Her eyes came up to meet his and he searched her face for any clues. She was scared to tell, and he was scared with her. She finally took a deep breath, and grabbed his bare hands with hers.

"You know how I'm not a mutant anymore?" she said slowly, choosing her words very carefully. He nodded, still keeping his eyes on her face. She closed her eyes and concentrated. He gasped as he felt a bit of his power and energy draining from him. She let go. He gasped again and examined his hand. She lifted her finger and froze the doorknob in place. "I'm still a mutant. I still have my powers." She pushed her hair behind her ear. "But... I can control it."

Bobby felt in shock at her news. It took him a couple moments to react. But then, he laughed and grabbed her hands. Changing his mind, he let go and took her in his arms. She didn't know what to make of it, but she hugged him back and laughed along with him.

"Rogue... you can be a member of the X-Team again! You can take small doses of our powers, and we can still touch." He pulled away, and leaned down to kiss her. She laughed and ducked out of the way, tickling his ribs. "Hey!" he yelled, still laughing, and chased her around the room. He finally tackled her, and they collapsed in a heap on the bed. They were both still laughing, but soon the laughter died down. She brought her bare hand up to stroke his face.

"I was so terrified I was going to screw up," she said quietly, outlining the contours around his lips and eyes.

"I know," he said quietly. "But you didn't, and you won't. I love you, Rogue." She smiled up at him.

"I love you too, Bobby."

- - - - - - - - - - - -

"Good morning, Charles."

He stirred slightly at the sound of his name. But it wasn't _his_ limbs that were stirring. They didn't feel right.

"Hello," he said slowly, testing his voice. It was still the same. The thick accent and the deep tones were still there. But there was still something about his body that felt wrong. He wiggled his fingers, and finally opened his eyes. The bright florescent bulbs burned them, but he kept them open, blinking a few times.

"Oh Charles!" the voice cried. He finally recognized it.

"Moira?" he whispered, hearing the voice of his doctor. He heard a laugh thick with tears, and felt a small feminine hand clasp his. He grabbed it back.

"Oh God. You're... you're alive! And awake! Oh... Charles." She laughed again, the happy tears lingering in her voice again. He forced himself to lift his hand in front of his eyes. It had dark hair on it. "I wasn't sure it was going to work," she added.

"Where..." he started, glancing at the hand. "My body?" he said slowly.

"We had to transfer your consciousness, Charles," she said slowly. "This is the body of a twenty-five year old man who died suddenly in a car accident. It was loss of blood. We replenished his, well,_ your_ supply and transplanted your consciousness into his body." He felt the hospital bed began to tilt upwards and pull him into a sitting position. The next thing to cross his mind was his mental powers. Had they come with his consciousness? He looked at Moira, and made an effort to delve into her brain. He nearly laughed as he felt it work. She had been worrying about him for weeks, taking care of him night and day without fail, only taking a few hours off now and then to sleep.

"Moira, I can see you've been hard at work." She blushed after realizing he had been inside her. "I thank you for it." He dove deeper, and she began to play around with some hospital tools. She knew he had to figure out what had happened to him, but that didn't stop her embarrassment.

Jean had blown him to bits. His body had been shattered like glass, as well as his mind. But someone had tapped into Cerebro, Moira didn't know who, and gathered the bits of his consciousness together where they could be transplanted into another body. Then another thought came to him. His legs. He had been stuck in that wheelchair for so long. He whipped the thin sheet off his legs and wiggled his toes. They moved. He nearly laughed in delight. Moira smiled at him.

"How can I ever thank you?" He said intensely.

"Just get all the way better, Professor. The school has missed you."


	6. Chapter 6

Logan turned and convulsed in his sleep. Nightmares again. Night after night they tormented him, waking him up covered in his own sweat and panting like an animal. The sheets and blankets always were thrown off and the room seemed to be so much hotter than when he had fallen asleep. He also had a tendency to lash out at whatever woke him up. The dreams and his reactions had gotten so much worse since Jean had died.

The light in the room was tinted a ghostly green. As usual, it wasn't from his point of view. It was a sort of omniscient being, looking on the scene however it wanted. In this case it gave the familiar view of Logan submersed in water, many slits open all over his body and the liquid admantium being poured in to conform to his skeleton. He cried out in pain.

He woke up still yelling. He had sat straight up. His claws were extended and his hands balled into fists, trembling with adrenaline. He closed his eyes, the energy of the dream flying out of him. He retracted the claws and brought his hands up to his face, letting his body fall back into the laying position. How had he let himself get this bad? He rolled onto his side, his arm extended above his head. He didn't know what to do with himself anymore.

As he closed his eyes, he thought of what had happened that day. Had Storm nearly kissed him, or had he imagined it? Of course he imagined it. Storm couldn't feel that way about him. She was beautiful, he hadn't lied to her about that, but him and her? He smiled inwardly. Maybe that wouldn't be too bad. It would probably be good for both of them. He decided then and there to let Storm know he was interested. He knew that they wouldn't go long term, that wasn't what he needed, but for now they could take comfort in each other.

He also needed to talk to Rogue. He knew she was worried about him, and he smiled inwardly again. She had no need, but how was she to know? And the new girl, Leah? He wouldn't mind getting to know her a little better. She seemed shy and probably had no idea of the limits of her powers. But, obviously, that was a bad idea. Angel obviously liked her a lot. It took quite a bit to get him to act that besotted.

But, as always, the incredible guilt began to work its way back into his thought. What about Jean? He pushed his face harder in the pillow. It was the past. He couldn't let go, but he needed to get himself in the present a bit more. The only problem was that no matter how gone or dead Jean was, he still loved her. Storm would be good for him, he decided. He needed someone who understood him and his grief.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Storm, a few doors down had heard Logan scream. She closed her eyes and felt the pain he was feeling. She wanted nothing more than to knock down her door and barge down the hallway into his room. She wanted to take him in her arms and tell him that it was only a dream, and it would be alright. She pulled the covers up closer to her chin. It would never happen. Who was she kidding.

Every time she heard him scream, she screamed too, inside. But she screamed for different reasons. She screamed in frustration. She screamed in terror of running the school herself. She screamed in loathing for what she had become. But tonight was different. She was finally accepting the fact that Logan could never be hers. It was painful, but it finally had dawned on her that he wanted nothing to do with her emotionally. A few tears squeezed out of the corner of her eye and wet the pillow. She buried her face, and somehow she felt better that she had in weeks.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Leah laid in bed, thinking of Angel and Logan and Storm.

Angel... she didn't even know what to think of him. He was witty and charming and angelic in every way, including his appearance. His blond hair and the light blue eyes... they could melt a girl into a puddle. And he nearly had. He always said the right thing, and did the right things, and acted the right way. He was utterly perfect.

What could she think about Logan? They say first impressions are very important, and he had pretty much failed. He hadn't been rude to her particularly, but... she could tell that they weren't going to get along particularly well. She would make all effort, sure, but she didn't figure it would do much.

Storm was utterly divine. Obviously much more experienced than Leah, she guided her sweetly without a condescending attitude. Leah loved it, and it seemed every moment she spent in Storm's company she adored her even more. What she wouldn't give to be as graceful and talented as Storm. She shook her head at herself. Her jealous nature was coming out again.

She couldn't help wondering about Logan's past. A story for another time? Though she never admitted it to anyone, she hated waiting. It was nearly as bad as an out of tune piano. She smiled. Tomorrow her lessons would start, teaching the children music, finally, instead of math. And when she raised her power to the full potential, she could teach students to do that, too.

She also wondered about the hospital wing where she would be working part-time. She had some past experiences as a nurse, which of course Storm found out about, and asked her if she was willing. Or course she was. She was in deep already, and was loving every second of it. The school already seemed like home.


	7. Chapter 7

Storm woke up to feeling better than she had in weeks. She marched into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. It was still early, so her fellow teachers weren't up and about yet. She smelled the strong grinds and grinned at the tangy aroma. She couldn't wait for the day to start. Laughter bubbled out of her as she realized her own quick change of attitude was because of a boy. And a boy that didn't want her! But she was finally beginning to feel that she was over him.

Soon, other teachers began milling into the kitchen, chatting about nonsense with her and noticing her happy mood. She was walking on the clouds, and finally feeling like her own person again. When most of the other teachers had left, Leah stepped groggily into the kitchen. Storm was busying herself with cooking some eggs and sausage for breakfast for the teachers. The cafeteria in another wing cooked for the kids. It wasn't really Storm's job, but she just felt like cooking today.

Leah stopped in the doorway and rubbed her eyes. Storm was nearly dancing between the stove, the spice cabinet and the refrigerator. She laughed at Storm's happy mood, and felt herself feeling uplifted as well.

"Morning, sleepyhead," Storm said, laughing as she stirred the huge vat of eggs. "You're a bit later than I would've expected, Leah." Leah laughed.

"I don't have a class until 10:30. Why would I get up super-early?" Leah bounded over to Storm. "What is going on?" she said quietly, not seriously, with the last giggle still lacing her words.

"Oh, nothing," said Storm. "I've just moved on a bit, that's all." With those words, four faces appeared in her mind- Jean, Scott, Xavier and Logan. She shook her head, clearing the image. She attempted to go back to her bouncy demeanor, but it didn't entirely work. Leah soon left to teach, and met Angel in the hallway.

"Have you seen Storm this morning?" Leah said with a twinkle in her eye.

"I have," Angel replied. "I think she got laid last night." Leah laughed, and her eyes danced all the way down the hallway and into her classroom.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Logan awoke feeling tired and cold from sweat. He shivered and pulled the blankets up to his chin. He rolled onto his side and glanced at the clock. If he didn't go soon, he wouldn't catch Storm in the kitchen. He threw the covers off, cracked his neck, flexed his fists, and threw on some clothes. After running his fingers through his dark hair a few times, he stepped out of his room and strode towards the kitchen.

Storm, at this point, was still on a cloud, it was just slightly closer to the ground now. She seemed more like a person than the spirit of happiness she had been earlier. But still, when Logan entered the kitchen, a soft smile crept to his face. She was humming quietly to herself, still cooking, and hadn't noticed him come in.

"Hey," he said quietly. She jumped, then laughed quietly when she saw who it was.

"Hey yourself. Don't sneak up on me like that."

"Don't blame me. I didn't try to," he said in his best protesting voice as he walked over to Storm. "Need any help?"

"You're not your usual bitter, sarcastic self this morning, Logan. Are you feeling alright?"

"I slept great last night," he lied. And of course she knew he was lying.

"Hmmm," was her low response as she stopped concentrating on him and went back to the eggs. He chose to ignore it, and stared into her eyes. She wasn't looking back.

"Storm..." he said slowly. She gulped, but continued to work with her eggs. He gave up on that approach, and turned in an entirely different direction. "I'm not myself this morning?" he asked with a forced laugh. "How about you? You're dancing around in here like this is the greatest morning of your life." He cursed himself for his bitterness. She turned the burner off and turned to face him.

"Why shouldn't it be, Logan? Why can't I have a happy morning like we all used to? Why can't you let me let go for one day?" she said, emotion pouring into her words. "Why can't you let me forget?" Logan roared.

"Me? What does this have to do with me? Forget about them, go ahead. I've got nothing to do with the way you treat them!"

"Yes you do!" she yelled, nearly crying now.

"How?" he said, challenge clear in his tone.

"Because when I look at you, I see them, Logan." She shut her eyes for a moment. "Every time I look at you, I see Xavier, I see Jean, I see Scott, because they're still there with you, Logan. I feel them in you, because you won't let go. And I can't stop seeing you, Logan. You're the only one who really understands. In order to let them go, I have to lose you, and I can't bear that."

Logan was glued to his spot on the floor. For once, he was out of bitterness to throw back at her. His main weapon had been pried away from him. She saw them in him? He saw how much she was hurting. Her eyes were closed against angry tears, and her fists were clenched. Her entire body was shaking, just a little.

"Storm..." he said quietly and moved closer to her. Her face came up to look at him. Her eyes opened and her fists grabbed at the counter behind her. Her body was still shaking. He leaned down, and very softly put his mouth on hers. The torrents of emotion she had been holding back broke free in that moment. The love she'd been longing to express, the hatred she'd been longing to feel, the sorrow she'd been longing to sink into, and the joy that she had no place to use. They all came together in that kiss. She reached behind his neck and pulled him closer.

He as well was reeling in emotion. Her emotions came pouring into him as they kissed and he finally understood how she had been feeling. He pulled back and took her in his arms. She didn't cry, but she was still swimming in emotions, and buried her face into his shoulder, grasping him tightly. They stayed that way for what seemed like an eternity to both of them.

- - - - - - - - -

Leah sat in front of her class, feeling nervous. Most of the kids were older in the class, but still very inexperienced. She took a deep breath and shuddered. Then, a wary smile implanted itself on her face and she stood up. She moved closer to the children in the classroom that reminded her of the family room in her old house. The chairs for the students were a pale blue plush and the carpet navy and soft. Instruments dotted the back wall of the room, some hanging, some just leaning, and a grand piano sat near the teacher's chair. She adored it.

"Good morning," she said sweetly, and the class was all smiles. "I'm the new music teacher here, as you probably already knew, and my name is Leah. Please call me that, not Miss Leah, or anything like that. I think it adds unneeded formality in the classroom." A few whispers in the back of the room started, but she chose to ignore them.

"That's really cool."

"I wish all our teachers would do that."

She started class then, using the high tech machinery that she couldn't make work to teach music theory. Every new step she took, she pulled a student from their seat and made them show her how the equipment worked. And with her style of teaching, the students greatly enjoyed themselves. It became a hot topic of conversation among the children- the new music teacher who used to teach math.


	8. Chapter 8

Storm, of course, would've been content leaving her head on Logan's shoulder, but being a man of action, Logan soon grew restless and pulled away. She looked sad for a moment, but then he lowered his face down to hers and they kissed again, just as chemically as the last time. Storm could barely contain her emotion. She had spent so long watching him grieve for Jean, and now, finally, he was realizing that she was here now, and she would love him.

Some part of her knew that she may still be second the Jean, but she batted it down, thinking it was just her low self-esteem. And really, that was just her low self-esteem talking, but Logan was wondering the same thing. He was wondering if he could live with himself in a relationship with Storm. Could he live with that added guilt? He had to. She needed him, she had told him so. And if he could do something that really mattered to her, this was it.

Even though he realized that the guilt would just be weighing him down more, he hoped that this would brighten Storm's spirits, therefore brightening his in the process. He couldn't be sure, but he figured that for the next few weeks or so, Storm would be walking on the clouds like she had been that morning. He knew that Storm acting happy would be good for the children as well. But that didn't stop him from feeling guilty about it.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Leah was feeling very satisfied after a long afternoon of teaching. She sighed in content and sat down in her soft chair. She moved over to her table in the corner of the room and organized her lessons again, which she really didn't need to do. It was a habit. She didn't even think about it anymore; she just did it.

Storm waltzed in as she was finishing. Storm looked even more happy and dazed than she had that morning. Leah chuckled to herself before setting down her papers and moving over to meet Storm halfway. Storm's cheeks were red and her eyes bright. Leah shook her head and laughed.

"Maybe Angel was right. _Did_ you get laid?" Storm laughed.

"Well, not yet," she replied with a giggle. She sounded like a little girl with a naughty secret. She danced past Leah and around the room. Leah couldn't help laughing again. This was so unlike the Storm she had first met. She had thought that Storm was slightly depressed, maybe something with her past. Leah didn't know. But she did know that something had totally changed in Storm.

"Who is it?" Leah asked, she too starting to sound like a child, excited to hear the forbidden secret. Storm shot her a long look with a wicked smile on her face. And, in that look, somehow Leah knew. She just knew. She gasped. "Logan?" she said quietly. Storm almost seemed to melt into a puddle at the sound of his name. She nodded dreamily. Leah began to push her out the door, still laughing.

"Get out of my classroom," Leah said with a laugh. "You're making me nauseous." Storm laughed with her before waltzing down the hallway towards her room. Leah shut her door with a chuckle. Storm was turning out to be a mystery. A mystery that really needed solving. She couldn't wait to get to know Storm better. Already she was forming a tight bond with the woman.

Leah adjusted a chair that was slightly out of place and found herself feeling jealous of Storm. Not of Logan specifically, but of the happy wonderland that Storm was living in. Leah hadn't felt that way in a long time. She shook her head to clear the memories and was startled by hearing her door close. She turned around to see Angel standing in the doorway. He gave her a small wave.

She waved back, but he saw the sadness still lingering in her eyes. He moved closer to her and tilted her chin upwards with one finger, examining her face.

"Something's wrong," he said, brows furrowing. "What is it?"

"Nothing," she replied quickly, pulling away from his grasp. She turned her back to him, fiddling with some papers again, and she found herself thinking of how she'd have to organize them yet again later on. She sighed. He moved farther away from her, examining the personal objects she had added to the room. He took a deep breath and broke the awkward silence.

"Look... I was wondering if you wanted to come on a fly with me. I haven't gone airborne in a few days, and I was wondering if you'd like to join me." She turned around, a smile on her face and eyes sparkling. He grabbed her hand and led her out the door. They moved toward the exit and he stood there, holding both her hands in his.

"I'm not... sure..." she started, but he just smiled.

"Come on. Don't worry, I won't let you fall."

She called water to her, and it gathered around her feet, lifting her into the air. He zoomed upward quickly, and she struggled to keep up. He looped back around to her, and with a quick "C'mon," he grabbed her and lifted her out of her water bubble. She was below him, her whole body pressed against his. His arms were around her waist and his great white wings flapped the air.

"I'm sorry," he whispered quietly in her ear. "I didn't mean to pry before." She smiled.

"I'm sorry, too. I didn't mean to be so..." she fumbled for a good word, but then found she didn't need one. She closed her eyes and savored the sensation of the wind around her. He laughed.

"Don't just close your eyes, Leah. Look down." She did, and gasped. They were below the clouds, but the city was a beautiful sight below them. The weather, of course, was perfect due to Storm's heightened spirits, and the sun glimmered off the minuscule buildings and cars. People, like little toys, walked between buildings and across streets. She laughed at the beauty of it all.

"The first step at becoming a member of the X-Team," Angel said, laughter in his voice, "is to come up with a corny nickname." She giggled. "And ideas? There are plenty available for a hydrokinetic."

She pondered this as she felt him turning back towards Xavier Institute. She said, "How about... something with aqua?" She let herself ponder this for a few moments. "What do you think of Aquara?" He smiled.

"I love it." They began their descent down to the backyard of the school. They landed gracefully on the basketball court, right near the wet patch that she had left behind after her not-so-graceful start. She laughed, and the water evaporated.

"Thank you, Angel. We should do this again sometime." He smiled.

"Definitely." He stroked his finger across her cheek, and took off. She watched him fly away, looking as beautiful and graceful as ever. She walked back towards the school, thinking that maybe, sometime soon, she would have a happy wonderland for herself.


	9. Chapter 9

Leah made her way to the hospital portion of the school. She was more than happy to relieve the tired and worn looking woman of her position and take over. She examined the high tech medical equipment, and smiled inwardly. This was machinery she could handle. She ran her hands over the button panels and went around and around until she had taken in every inch of the room. She was very excited.

Ever since she was little, she was torn between doing two things with her life- something to do with music and something to do with medicine. She decided on becoming a music teacher, but attending medical school afterwards. Why not? Her family could afford it, and she couldn't decide, so she qualified herself for both. The only problem was that the only position she could find was teaching math. She jumped at the opportunity to come to Xavier Institute and do the two things she loved best.

Her first hour on duty was uneventful. It was getting close to 11 o'clock and lights out was at 10:30, so most of the kids were already sleeping. She had a little girl come in with a stomach ache, so she gave her a mint and some flat ginger ale and sent her to bed. That was really the only exciting thing that happened. That is, until around 11:30 when disaster struck.

Two tall men in black suits came into the room. One was tall with short blond hair, and the other equal in altitude but with thick, dark hair. She had the horrible urge to start calling them Blondie and Blackie. They were carrying what looked like a homeless man by the armpits. The man was drooped over and letting his legs drag behind him. Leah winced in disgust.

"Hello, gentlemen," she said, concealing her disdain for the beggar. "How may I help you?"

"This man," Blondie said professionally, "stretched the drinking limit at our bar. He needs help and bed rest."

"I'm sorry, sir, but I can't help you. This is not just a walk-in hospital, this is for students and teachers at this school only," Leah replied. Blackie chuckled, and lifted the man's face. Leah gasped, and rolled her eyes. She batted their hands away and let the man fall to the floor.

"I thought you'd understand," Blackie injected as he and Blondie strode out the door.

Leah chuckled to herself as she hoisted the semi-conscious man up onto a hospital table. She brushed his long hair out of his eyes, and in turn rolled hers.

"I just met you, and already I'm beginning to realize what kind of person you are, Logan." He grunted at the sound of his name and brought his hand up to his face.

"Where am I?" he said sluggishly, alcohol thick in his tone.

"You're back at the Institute. The two thugs from whatever bar you were at dragged you here." He grunted in response and shielded his eyes. She chuckled at him, and filled an injection needle with some clear fluid. His eyes never left her hands. Before he could protest, she jammed the needle into his arm. He winced in the pain, and his eyes began to flutter. "I think it's time for you to go to sleep now," she said quietly as he drifted off into a drunken, drug-induced stupor.

She sucked in her breath as the needle hole in his arm vanished without a trace. She ran her fingers over the spot in curiosity. He was turning out to be another mystery. Leah examined his face closely and saw a black eye forming. She figured he had gotten himself into a drunk fight, and hopefully he hadn't truly damaged anyone in the process. He looked as though he had suffered most of the damage, though.

She felt herself moving into doctor mode, and stripped off his clothes. She pulled one of the atrocious white hospital gowns and slipped it around him. She felt around for broken or fractured bones, and in finding none she covered him with a sheet and contented herself with her book until further notice. She would be relieved at 4:30 am, and it was only midnight.

The book was great, it really was, but it was later than her normal waking hours and she soon found her mind drifting off to sleep. She woke up ten minutes after she dozed off, and put a not on the door saying to wake her up if anyone needed anything. She would have stayed awake if she felt it was humanly possible.

She woke up with a start at some unknown sound a few hours later. She glanced at the clock. The glowing green display said 3:45. She knew she could stay awake for the next 45 minutes, so she busied herself with the neat machinery.

A while later, she decided to do a final check on Logan. She walked over to him, deciding to take a reading of how much alcohol was in his system. But, instead, she found herself looking down at his face. His rough features were actually quite attractive, despite the unneeded facial hair. She reached down to brush his hair out of his eyes again, but he awoke at the touch.

She gasped and looked down. He had woken up very suddenly, and driven his claws a short way into her abdomen. He gasped in shock, removing them. The had only gone in about a centimeter, but the blood began to flow. She coughed a little, and he jumped up and over to the nearest pile of materials. A few white towels were placed in a pile, and he grabbed the top few and pushed them forcefully against the three puncture wounds. He lowered her onto the bed which he had been using and kept the towels tight against her.

"God, I'm so sorry," he said quietly. "I'm just a little jumpy when woken up, that's all. You're gonna be fine." Her face was pale, but she smiled in recognition and opened her mouth to speak, but he shushed her.

"Stay quiet," he said lowly, searching her eyes for intense pain, which he did not find. He sighed in relief. She would be fine. "You're alright," he crooned, spouting nonsense until he saw the last of the pain leave her eyes. She struggled and pulled herself upright. The towels were now a pinkish crimson.

Together they removed the towels and bandaged the wounds. They said almost nothing, but both felt a rising tension. Leah and Storm had clicked right away, but she and Logan had smacked against each other. Neither was particularly enjoying the other's company.

Shortly after they finished the bandaging, the next nurse showed up. Seeing Logan's state of near undress and his hand on Leah's abdomen, she began to back out the door. Logan went after her and dragged her back in, his small hospital gown very obvious to all three of them. Leah nodded a tired goodbye to Logan and smiled at the nurse before heading back to her room.

_What a night!_ she thought with a sigh as she slipped under the sheets. She was happy that she had discovered who Logan was, but she wasn't particularly happy with the discovery itself. She sighed. _Can't get along with everyone,_ she thought to herself as she drifted off into a restless sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

Charles smoothed his new suit and stepped into the shiny black car that was waiting for him. He was still getting used to the feel of standing on two legs again. It hadn't happened in so long that he barely remembered how it felt. He couldn't believe the body he was in. He was young again, more handsome than he had ever felt, but he still was himself. He had been given a chance at life again, and couldn't have been happier.

"Where to?" the driver said with a friendly air. He spun around in his seat to look at Charles, much more personal than the chauffeurs that he was used to. He smiled a bit, feeling awkward.

"I need you to take me here," Charles said in his thick accent, the dark vowels ringing in the small car. He held out a small sheet of paper. The driver took it, and nodded before turning around in his seat and maneuvering the car away from the entrance.

"I had an aunt stay there once," the driver said easily, glancing in the rear-view mirror. Xavier smiled, no response coming to him. "You got family there?"

Charles chucked. "In a way, I guess you could call him family." He shook his head at himself. "The closest I've had in a long time."

"Ah, a close friend then, I guess," the driver said, not really expecting an answer. They drove in silence for a few minutes before the car stopped in front of the hospital.

"Thank you sir. Can you wait for me?" Charles asked, kindly. The driver grimaced slightly, but agreed. Charles thanked him gratefully and strutted toward the main doors.

His step was smooth, graceful and long, complimenting his body. He had black hair on the long side that shone in the florescent lighting, and his deep brown eyes were large and dreamy. He had small sideburns, and looked to be in his twenties. Nearly every female in the reception area swooned.

"Could I please be directed to the room of Erik Lehnsherr?" he said to the woman at the front desk. She was chewing gum loudly, and looked him up and down before flipping through a log book.

"Numba three-oh-two," she said, chomping away. "Righ' down the left hallway an' on the righ' side." He nodded his thanks and made his way down the hallway.

He reached Erik's room moments later. He peeked in through the small window before making his entrance. Erik was sitting hunched over on his bed, and motioning to the radiator which was rattling with each flick of his fingers. Charles sucked in his breath. Magneto still lived. He shook out his shoulder and gripped the cold handle, sliding it gently downward and entering the room. Erik quickly stopped the flicking motion and straightened his back. He looked at Xavier's new body from head to toe.

"I don't know you and I'm not interested," Erik said cooly, before turning his back on Xavier. Charles chuckled.

"Oh, but I think you do." Erik's brow furrowed. That voice didn't match. There was something wrong, something apart. Charles saw Erik's brain hard at work. He laughed again.

"This is taking much longer than I would expect of you, Erik," Charles shot out, letting his voice hang in the air.

"It's funny..." Erik said slowly. "Your voice reminds me of..."

"Your still as much a fool as ever, Erik," said the man with Xavier's voice and mannerisms.

"Charles. Always egging me on. You're alive," he said, matter-of-factly.

"And your still magnetic," Charles said, raising his eyebrow.

"Get along, fool. You have a school to run," Erik said, meanly. Charles took no notice.

"I do have business matters to attend to. Don't be a fool, Erik. Don't take matters into your own hands. You always fail. I just had to come see you first, make sure you weren't... causing any trouble." Charles looked Erik up and down, noting his bent back, thinning hair and sagging mouth.

"Hmm." Erik shrugged off the last remark and flicked his fingers at the door. "I'm busy. I'll be seeing you very soon, Charles." The metal door slid quietly open. Charles shook his head and smiled.

"Hang in there, Erik. You're looking rather old." Erik sneered at him as Charles walked himself out the door and out of the hospital.

"I hope I don't have to kill you in the process, Charles," Erik said to himself as he closed the door with another flick of his fingers. It would be a long and difficult process this time, killing the humans, but Erik had been supplied with newspapers and knew the latest news. Inventors, as always, were coming up with new invention after new invention. If Erik ever got enough of his powers back, human life would be destroyed. It was only a matter of time.


	11. Chapter 11

Storm forked a bite of salad gently into her mouth. She and Logan were out to dinner on their first official date, and neither knew what to say. It was very quiet, but not a calm quiet. An awkward, tense quiet. Storm ate slowly and deliberately to keep herself from exploding from sheer lack of conversation with her significant other. Inside she was kicking herself for not planning out what to say, how to say it- ergo, to keep conversation flowing.

"How's your salad?" he said gently through a mouthful of soup.

"Not bad," she replied. He wasn't uneasy. He was used to lack of conversation, and was feeling very comfortable indeed. He knew, though, that he needed to start a conversation soon. Storm wasn't known for sitting silently and feeling at all welcome. He gave her one of his most winning smiles, and she returned it, albeit a bit feebly. He reached over and brushed a bit of dressing off of her cheek.

"Logan..." she said slowly and intently. He cocked his head sideways and waited for her to go on. "Would you come back and help us teach?" Logan chuckled uneasily. Storm wasn't sure this was going to be an answer she'd like to hear.

"I'm sorry, Storm, but I'm just not cut out for the whole teaching thing." He had surprised himself, sounding that together and with it. The truth was, he was totally stunned. He could never teach. It wasn't his forte. It never would be, either. Children didn't listen or respect him unless he threatened them, which was not something he planned to do. Ever.

"Logan, that's not true and you know it," she said with what she hoped sounded reasonably like a laugh. "You could do nearly anything if you set your mind to it."

"Please don't talk to me like one of your students, Storm," he said gently. "Want a bite of soup? It's delicious."

Storm was stunned. Did he just say what she thought she heard him say? She hadn't meant to treat him like a student, just to raise his standards of himself. She said as much, but he said something nondescript and changed the subject. She found herself furious with him, but, at her own consternation, more in love with him than ever before. She struggled with herself inside.

He, of course, noticed that Storm seemed slightly less floaty than before. Maybe he brought her back down to Earth. That would be a healthy thing, for sure. But he did hope that he hadn't dampened her spirits too much. It was lovely to see her being happy and sweet again. He hadn't seen her like that since... He didn't want to go there. It always ended up badly. But what was there to do?

He reached across the table and took her hand in his. It seemed the most intimate gesture he could think of. She smiled and squeezed it back, still slightly hesitant.

"I'm sorry, Storm. I didn't mean-"

"It's alright," she cut in, squeezing his hand again and withdrawing hers as the server came with their main dishes. "I'm sorry, too." They then chatted the night away, about nonsense and unimportant things, and Storm floated up into her airy perch again, though not as whimsical as last time.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Angel paced about in the kitchen. It was nearing 7:30 in the evening, and he was supposed to ask Leah to have dinner with him in a few days. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. Women had never made him nervous before. He was always confident, taking long strides and sweeping them off their feet. How could he do that to Leah when he couldn't bring himself to even ask her to dinner?

He took a few deep breaths, and for what seemed like the eightieth time he forced himself down the hallway towards her room. And again, like all the other times, just before he got there he swung around and swept himself right back into the kitchen again. He cursed his own stupid nerves, took a few deep breaths again, and made one final attempt.

He stopped paying attention when he was in the hallway and soon found himself outside her door. He then knocked on it, and found himself thinking again that this was a bad, bad idea and she would say no, and he would be humiliated, and he'd never-

"Angel?" said Leah, who had opened the door in the middle of his worrying. He put on what he hoped was his most winning smile.

"Hey Leah. How are you?"

"I'm good! Do come in." She gestured him into her room, feeling tired and sore but very happy to see him. She watched him walk around, examining her belongings just as he had done with her office. It always helped him to get to know someone if he could see what their living spaces looked like. She sat on the bed, playing with her fingers nervously.

"It's a very nice room," he said sweetly after finishing his rounds. "You gave it such a homey feel." She blushed. He sat down next to her and turned up his palms. "Alright, the cat's out of the bag." She looked at him questioningly, and he laughed a little. "What I really came here to ask you, Leah, is if you would go to dinner with me tomorrow." She let out a little sigh. He was nearly shaking with tension.

"Oh..." she said quietly, color rising in her cheeks again. He looked down at his hands, then back up at her face. This wasn't going too well, he thought.

"So... will you?" he ventured, searching her face. He nearly expired of relief as he saw the happiness and anticipation cross her face.

"Yes!" she said with enthusiasm and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Oh, yes!" He returned the embrace and they sat their for a little while, feeling each other's bodies pressed against each other. He pulled back after a while, kissed her gently and quickly on the mouth, gave her a little wave and swept himself out the door, white wings and all.

Leah wrapped herself in her blanket and lay on her bed, giggling. She had been asked out by a proper, non-disgusting boy that she actually had feelings for. She hadn't felt so happy in a long time. It was a wonderful, warm, fuzzy feeling to know that she was about to join Storm on the Happy Relationship Cloud.


	12. Chapter 12

Storm was so tired. Emotional stress had been weighing on her throughout the whole meal, and she couldn't wait to find herself alone in her warm covers with her fantasies. But, as she climbed into bed, her sleepiness drifted away and she laid there, silently, just waiting for something to happen.

Something felt different about the school. There was someone there, but she didn't know who. Someone that was different from all the other inhabitants of the building. She wasn't particularly happy to get up, but she knew it had to be done. She threw on her wrinkled clothes and stepped out of her room into the empty hallway. She roamed down to the end and around the school.

She couldn't help noticing that the light in Xavier's office was on. It irked her that someone had been in there, again, without her permission, so she stomped her way down there to turn off the light and see if whoever had been there was still around. She peered in the window of the study. A man was in there, but she didn't know him. This confused her. Why would someone that she didn't know be poking around in Xavier's things? She took a deep breath and opened the door.

The man turned around to look at her, and smiled softly at her. She kept her expression stony and icy.

"What are you doing in Professor Xavier's office?" she said carefully and deliberately. "Did someone give you permission to be here?" The man shook his head slowly at her, with that soft smile still in place on his lips. It looked familiar, but she couldn't tell where she had seen it.

The man took a few careful steps towards her. She inched away until her back was pressed against the wall, but he continued to come closer until he was nearly right up against her.

"I'm warning you," Storm said, feeling scared now, "I'm not unarmed." She glared menacingly at his face, but she still could feel the waves of terror filtering through her body. The smile stayed on his face.

"Oh, Ororo," he said softly. "How cold you've gotten." He lifted his hand to her cheek, and for some reason she didn't stop him. His voice was smooth and his skin had just the slightest amount of roughness to it. She felt her terror floating away, replaced by a small, quiet feeling of curiosity.

"Who are you?" she whispered as he removed his hand from her face. "I feel as though I know you and yet I know I've never seen you before." She brought her hand up to her face to feel the place where he had touched her.

_I am whoever or whatever you need me to be, Storm._ It took her a moment to process that he had just transmitted the message into her head. Her eyes darted back and forth across his face, and her whole body seemed to melt.

"Pro...fess..." She couldn't bring herself to go on. Part of her mind wasn't letting her accept that it was him. It was saying that it was her fantasy, that she was dreaming he was back. He chuckled, and grabbed her hand in his two big ones.

"I was always with you, Ororo," he said quietly. "But now I can really be here for you." She felt her eyes let go and the tears begin to flow. She reached out and embraced him, needing to feel that he was actually there. She pulled away just in time to see his face melt into Logan's, and her world begin to spin...

She awoke with a start. Her eyes were wide open and her blankets strewn on the floor. She felt tears streaming down her cheeks, but ignored them as she gathered her blankets and placed them gently back on the bed. _He's not coming back_, she told herself firmly. _Stop pretending like he's going to._

_Did you forget I could speak through dreams, Storm?_ She stopped her picking up for a moment, but decided that it was just the after-effects of the dream and ignored the voice in her head. She heard her door open, but she ignored that, too. It was only when she felt two strong hands on her shoulders that she turned around and looked up at the face.

"I'm sorry about that, Storm," Xavier said. "I thought I would be in your room when you woke up. You broke away faster than I thought you would. You've become more powerful, Storm." She laughed and wiped away some of her tears.

"Are you really here now, Professor?" she asked quietly. "I don't think I could go through it again if you weren't." He chuckled exactly like she remembered from the old days and helped her to stand up.

"I'll be here now for as long as you need me."


	13. Chapter 13

Leah woke up early the next morning feeling delicious. She couldn't stop thinking about Angel and the dinner they were going to have that night. She couldn't wait to tell Storm. Storm would be happy for her, she just knew it. But Logan was still proving to be a confusing mystery. Leah hated mysteries. They needed solving, and she intended to figure out exactly what made him as bitter as he was. It was too bad he seemed to dislike her. Not that she particularly liked him either.

She slipped on some clothes and strode out of her room towards the kitchen. When she entered, there was a strange man making coffee. She cocked her head sideways.

"Hello," she said quietly, looking at the man with curiosity. The man, actually Xavier, smiled.

"Why hello there," he said with his thick accent. "Leah, I believe. Hydrokinetic? How fascinating. In all my years as a professor of this school, I've never met one." She smiled, unsure.

"I'm sorry, I thought I'd met everyone!" She stepped boldly towards him. "You are correct. My name is Leah. Who are you?" she said, extending her hand.

"My name is Professor Charles Xavier." Leah gasped.

"I thought..." she said quietly, disbelief lacing her words, "I thought you were-"

"Dead?" Xavier added. He chuckled. "So did I. The miracles of new science will never cease to amaze even me." Leah laughed.

"Well, it's wonderful to have you back! Have you spoken to Storm?" she said softly. "And Logan? Something about the way he operates makes me think he blames himself for your death," she said in speculation. Xavier smiled.

"Storm I have seen, but I haven't found Logan. I can feel his guilt from a mile away, though."

"Can you sense emotions?" Leah inquired, wondering exactly what the professor could do. He smiled.

_I can do more than that,_ he said intensely, but she realized that he hadn't spoken at all. She sucked in her breath.

"Oh..." she gasped softly. Xavier just went on with his dialogue as if he hadn't just transmitted a phrase into her thoughts.

"Logan blames himself for more than my death, though," Charles said softly. Leah looked at him, nearly begging him to go on. Charles chuckled. "That is a story for him alone to tell, Leah." She was disappointed, but brushed it away.

"I'm sure Storm is extremely grateful to have you back," she said, smiling. "She was having some trouble for a while there, but now that she and Logan are together..." She let her thought drift off before adding, "I think he makes her feel better about herself." Xavier patted Leah on the shoulder, already feeling like a father to the woman.

"Relationships tend to do that to people, Leah. You'll find out soon enough. I think Angel is anticipating dinner even more than you are." Leah opened her mouth, but stopped herself as she felt the crimson creep up her face. Xavier laughed, a loud full laugh, patted her on the shoulder again and strode out of the room, coffee in hand.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Logan paced around his room. Something was different this morning. His shirt was off and he felt the cool air evaporate the sweat on his chest. Something was in the air. It smelled like Charles Xavier, but that made no sense. Charles was dead, disintegrated at the hands of Jean. Oh, Jean. He couldn't think about her now. But how could Charles be here?

"The wonders of modern science," came a familiar voice from across the room. Logan spun around to see a stranger standing in front of the door. "Yes, Logan, it's hard to believe, but I am here. I owe science a great deal now," said the stranger with Xavier's voice. Logan shook his head, unable to comprehend the situation.

"You were blown into a million pieces," Logan said slowly, "but I know that you're you. You sound right and you smell right." Logan felt himself reeling in his tracks. Xavier wasn't dead. He was standing here, in front of him. Logan took a few tentative steps towards him and laid his hand on the stranger's shoulder.

"All this is true. Miracles happen, Logan. Every day." Logan squeezed the fabric of the professor's shirt, testing for palpability. When it didn't break into tiny pieces at his touch, a sob of relief broke out of his throat. A third of his guilt had just been peeled off his chest. Charles smiled, and laid his hand on Logan's shoulder in return.

"It's good to have you back, Professor," he said slowly, looking into Xavier's face without a smile.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Erik sat on his hospital bed, smiling broadly at his progress. He looked at the door, and it opened and closed with the smallest thought. It was time to get out of the miserable hospital. It was time to be remitted into the life he knew. It was time to finally obliterate the human race.

The radiator ripped itself from the wall and flew into the hallway, smashing against the door on the other side of the hallway. A few attendants came flying down the hallway to stop him, but he sent shards of the shattered radiator into their faces and chests. The screamed and fell, dead, to the floor. He marched towards the hospital entrance, flinging metal at anyone who tried to get in his way.

He arrived outside without being detained. He saw that police were beginning to show up with their plastic guns. But it was useless. They were in metal vehicles. He piled the cars upon one another, but decided to keep one for himself. He flew it upward, shaking its passengers out and set it gently down next to him. He slipped in, grabbing the wheel and speeding towards the edge of town. He had to find Mystique and Pyro. It wouldn't be too hard.


	14. Chapter 14

Raven arrived home, setting her bags of groceries on the wobbly card table. She clicked on the light and pulled the keys out of her teeth where she had stuck them so she could open the door. It had been another long and disagreeable day at work, not that that was anything new. She sat in the equally wobbly chair and wished. She just wished that she could become someone else. Like her boss from work.

Her boss was blonde, beautiful, and extremely rich. Who wouldn't want to be her? Her skin was smooth and tan, while Raven's was pale. Raven's hair, of course, was dark, nowhere near the blonde she envied so much. Raven closed her eyes, hung her head, and felt her hair touch her legs. That was strange. Her hair wasn't long enough for that. She opened her eyes and saw that her hair was blonde. She stood up. Her arms were tan, her hair was blonde... Raven ran to the mirror and laughed.

Mystique was back.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Logan ran out of his room. He had to find Storm, he had to tell her, or if she already knew, he would share his joy with her. He had to, he _needed_ to. It was all he could think about.

He turned a sharp corner to find Storm running equally as fast towards him. He grabbed her wrist and dragged her into his room. He drew her to him and held her close. Storm was so happy just to be right there. She couldn't help feeling that this was where she belonged- in Logan's arms with tears of joy running down both their faces.

Logan let himself go. The raw emotion just flew over him. It was all too much- having the professor back, and having someone he could learn to love as much as he had once loved Jean. He pulled back from Storm, bringing his mouth down to hers. No words had yet been said between them.

Xavier frowned as he stood in the hall outside the door of the embracing couple. He saw that Storm loved Logan, but Logan was detached from her, feeling like a separate person. That wasn't how it was supposed to be, Xavier knew. And then he felt Jean flit past in Logan's mind, and Logan then merged with Storm, the two of them feeling like one being. Xavier frowned, wondering. He wouldn't dive any deeper into personal affairs. He would ask Logan himself.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Leah slipped into her turquoise dress that set off her eyes. She looked at herself in the mirror, feeling that for once she actually looked reasonably beautiful. She grabbed a handbag and slipped on her white sandals, just as there was a knock on the door. She smiled and found herself running to answer it.

Angel was standing in the doorway, wearing a suit that effectively hid his wings. She sucked in her breath. He looked absolutely amazing.

Unbeknownst to her, Angel was thinking that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He chided himself. _Stop it. You're laying it on too strong,_ he thought as he drew his finger across her face. She grabbed his hand, and slid her hand into his. He smiled, shoving his blonde hair out of his eyes.

"Ready then?" he asked sweetly. She grinned up at him.

"As I'll ever be."

The left the mansion together, hand in hand. They both kept glancing at each other, quick embarrassed glances, almost as if it was a dream and they could wake up any second. Neither particularly liked that idea, though.

They climbed into one of the school's cars, Angel's favorite, he told her, because it was very large and spacious. He expertly maneuvered it through the thick crowd of others and onto the street. He drove smoothly, and she just sat with her handbag in her lap, grinning at the steering wheel.

How she wished she could just lean over and kiss him. It had been a long time since she had kissed anyone, and he was so desperately attractive. He stopped the car in the parking lot of a restaurant, but neither of them got out. He even left the keys in the ignition. He looked over at Leah, waiting for a response to his actions.

She sat there, wondering if he was having similar thoughts as well.

"Do you really want to do this?" she asked quietly. He chuckled.

"Depends on what 'this' is," he replied, equally quietly.

"Going out to dinner."

"You have a better idea?" She smiled at him and he maneuvered the car over to the entrance ramp. "Alright, let's go."

A while later, Angel and Leah sat together on a blanket in a local park. It was near the edge of town and there weren't many houses around. They had gone to the store and picked up wine, cheese, and little chocolates.

Leah felt that she was having the conversation of her life. She was so fascinated with him and with everything he did. She almost stopped paying attention to his maleness and her need for him. She was staring at the blanket and smiling into her glass of wine when she saw Angel move it off the side of the blanket. She looked at him questioningly, but he just smiled.

He was nervous as hell. Not that he would ever admit that to anyone. But as he moved closer, he really felt that it was the right thing to do. He stroked his hand over her face, and saw her close her eyes. He pulled away and her eyes fluttered open, confused. He sat back down on the blanket.

"Leah, I'm sorry," he said softly. "You're just too beautiful." She gazed at him for a moment before turning his chin with her hand and bringing her mouth up to his.

"Me?" she said between kisses. "You're the beautiful one." He laughed and pulled her closer.


End file.
